Description
Dinner in a Pumpkin is a delightful American main course featuring tender pumpkin shells filled with a savory mixture of Italian sausage, wild rice, and fresh vegetables, seasoned with aromatic herbs, then baked to perfection. This comforting and hearty dish is perfect for fall or any cozy dinner occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Pumpkin
- 3 (6 inch) pumpkin pie pumpkins (or 1 regular medium-size pumpkin)
Meat and Vegetables
- 1 pound Italian sausage mild or hot, casings removed
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 1 cup red bell pepper, diced
- 1 large carrot, shredded
- 2 ribs celery, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
Herbs and Seasoning
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped (or 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme)
- 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped (or 3/4 teaspoon dried rosemary)
- 2 teaspoons fresh sage, chopped (or 3/4 teaspoon dried sage)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
Additional
- 2 cups cooked wild rice
Instructions
- Prep Pumpkin: Cut the top off each pumpkin, creating a large enough opening to fit your hand and a spoon inside, similar to carving a Jack-o-lantern. Remove all seeds and scrape the insides until the walls are smooth. Season the inside with salt and black pepper.
- Preheat Oven: Set your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit to prepare for baking the stuffed pumpkins.
- Brown Meat: Remove the casings from the Italian sausage and place the meat in a skillet over medium-high heat. Break it into small pieces with a spatula and cook until browned. Use paper towels to blot excess grease if necessary.
- Add Veggies and Herbs: To the browned sausage, add the diced onion, shredded carrot, diced bell pepper, and chopped celery. Sauté the mixture for 8-10 minutes until the vegetables soften. Then stir in minced garlic, thyme, rosemary, sage, kosher salt, and black pepper until fragrant.
- Mix in Rice: Incorporate the cooked wild rice into the sausage and vegetable mixture, stirring thoroughly to combine all ingredients evenly.
- Stuff Pumpkin: Spoon the prepared mixture into each cleaned pumpkin cavity. Replace the pumpkin tops to cover them.
- Bake: Place the stuffed pumpkins on a lined or greased baking sheet. Position the sheet on the lowest oven rack, or wherever it ensures the pumpkin cooks evenly in the center of the oven. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the pumpkin flesh is tender when pierced with a fork.
- Serve: When done, scoop some of the tender baked pumpkin flesh from the sides to mix with each serving. Spoon the filling into bowls, topping with optional hot sauce and additional salt and pepper as desired.
Notes
- Yield: Each 6 inch pumpkin serves two people, so this recipe serves approximately 6.
- Make Ahead Instructions: The sausage and rice filling can be prepared up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated. Assembly with the pumpkin can also be done a day ahead before baking.
- Freezing Instructions: The filling mixture can be stored in a freezer-safe container and frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw before baking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approx. 1/6 of recipe)
- Calories: 410 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 620 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 20 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
